Other Income (Expense) - net (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	$ 127		$ 39		$ 74
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	123		70		27
Other Income (Expense) - net	4		(31)		47
Extinguishment of notes [Abstract]
Aggregate principal amount of senior notes extinguished					250
Gain on extinguishment of senior notes					25
Additional gain on extinguishment of senior notes					4
Interest rate on debt related to discontinuance of fair value hedge (in hundredths)	7.125%
Economic Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	(10)		(3)		9
Charitable Contributions [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	9		4		6
Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	0		29	[1]	0
LKE Other Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	0		31		0
WPD Midlands Other Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	34		0		0
Foreign Currency Loss On 2011 Bridge Facility [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	57	[2]	0		0
UK Stamp Duty Tax [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	21		0		0
Miscellaneous Domestic Other Expense [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	9		7		8
Miscellaneous International Other Expense [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	3		2		4
Gains Related To Extinguishment Of Notes [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	0		0		29	[3]
Earnings On Securities In Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Funds [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	24		20		20
Interest Income [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	7		8		14
Allowance For Funds Used During Construction [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	7		5		1
Net Hedge Gains Associated With 2011 Bridge Facility [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	55	[4]	0		0
Gain On Redemption Of Debt [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	22	[5]	0		0
Miscellaneous Domestic Other Income [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	11		5		9
Miscellaneous International Other Income [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	$ 1		$ 1		$ 1

[1] Represents losses reclassified from AOCI into earnings associated with discontinued hedges at PPL for debt that had been planned to be issued by PPL Energy Supply. As a result of the expected net proceeds from the sale of certain non-core generation facilities, coupled with the monetization of full-requirement sales contracts, the debt issuance was no longer needed.

[2] Represents a foreign currency loss related to the repayment of the 2011 Bridge Facility borrowing.

[3] Represents PPL Energy Supply's $25 million gain on its tender offers to purchase up to $250 million aggregate principal amount of certain of its outstanding senior notes and PPL's additional net gain of $4 million as a result of reclassifying net gains on related cash flow hedges from AOCI into earnings.

[4] Represents a gain on foreign currency contracts that hedged the repayment of the 2011 Bridge Facility borrowing.

[5] As a result of PPL Electrics redemption of 7.125% Senior Secured Bonds due 2013, PPL recorded a gain on the accelerated amortization of the fair value adjustment to the debt recorded in connection with previously settled fair value hedges.